Amazing Amy claims gold medal hat trick as Aussies lock up medal table lead

Sunday, 15 August 2010

Tasmanian Amy Cure has added a third gold medal to her personal tally with victory in the scratch race at the 2010 UCI Junior Track World Championships in Montichiari, Italy.

Day four of competition also saw South Australian Matthew Glaetzer add a win in the keirin to his sprint gold and team sprint silver medal while in the women's sprint West Australian Holly Williams secured the bronze medal.

Australia now has 7 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals ahead of the second ranked French who have 2 gold and 2 silver medals with only four of 19 events yet to be decided. That means the Australians will top the medal table for the fourth straight year.

Cure went into the 7.5km (30 lap) scratch race hoping to defend her 2009 crown. She launched a failed escape attempt ten laps from the finish but in the end she had to rely on her speed to outsprint the bunch for the win ahead of Harriet Owen (GBR) and Elena Cecchini (ITA). Cure also leaves Italy as the reigning world champion and world record holder in both the individual and teams pursuit. She also takes home a medal from the previous week's Junior Road World Championships where she placed third in the time trial.

In the men's keirin competition Glaetzer, the newly crowned sprint champion, had an unbeaten run to the final where he led out from ??? to go. That tactic meant he was well clear when two of his rivals crashed out of contention behind him. Argentine Mauricio Quironga was second across the line with American Matthew Baranoski claiming the bronze medal.

Reigning Australian champion, Maddison Hammond (VIC), qualified for the second round where his fourth place meant he missed qualification for the medal final.

The women's sprint saw West Australian Holly Williams win the bronze medal final over New Zealand's Stephenie McKenzie. McKenzie won the first of the best of three heats but Williams fought back winning the next two to secure her place on the podium. The gold medal was won by Korean Hyejin Lee who recovered from a first heat loss to overcome Russian Ekaterina Gnidenko.

The other medal decided on day four was the men's omnium which for the U19 men involves a flying lap, 15km points race, elimination race, 3km individual pursuit, 10km scratch race and ends with a kilometre time trial. Points are awarded based on placing in each event and the rider with the lowest total wins. The gold medal was won in convincing fashion by Frenchman Bryan Coquard who won four of the six rounds for a total of 15 points. Great Britain's Samuel Harrison was second on 26 points and German Lucas Liss finished third on 31 points. Wollongong's Jackson Law was in the bronze medal position heading into the final time trial but Liss pulled out strong ride to win the round while Law's fourth place put him one point of the podium.

The final day of racing will decide the medals for the men's kilometre time trial (Edward Bissaker and Maddison Hammond), women's keirin (Holly Williams and Adele Sylvester), men's Madison (Jackson Law and Jordan Kerby) and the omnium for women in which West Australian Isabella King is currently ranked second after three of the six rounds. The women's U19 omnium is made up of a flying lap, 10km points race, elimination race, 2km individual pursuit, 7.5km scratch race and ends with a 500m time trial.

Junior Track World Championships - Australian Medal Summary (after 15 of 19 events)

Gold

2km women's individual pursuit (Amy Cure)
3km women's teams pursuit (Amy Cure, Michaela Anderson, Isabella King)
Women's scratch race (Amy Cure)
Men's keirin (Matthew Glaetzer)
4km men's teams pursuit (Jordan Kerby, Mitchell Lovelock-Fay, Jackson Law, Edward Bissaker)
Men's sprint (Matthew Glaetzer)
25km Men's points race (Jordan Kerby)

Silver